The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #2)

by Douglas Adams

Facing annihilation at the hands of the warlike Vogons is a curious time to have a craving for tea. It could only happen to the cosmically displaced Arthur Dent and his curious comrades in arms as they hurtle across space powered by pure improbabilityband desperately in search of a place to eat.Among Arthur's motley shipmates are Ford Prefect, a longtime friend and expert contributor to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; Zaphod Beeblebrox, the three-armed, two-headed ex-president of the galaxy; Tricia McMillan, a fellow Earth refugee who's gone native (her name is Trillian now); and Marvin, the moody android who suffers nothing and no one very gladly. Their destination? The ultimate hot spot for an evening of apocalyptic entertainment and fine dining, where the food (literally) speaks for itself.Will they make it? The answer: hard to say. But bear in mind that the Hitchhiker's Guide deleted the term "Future Perfect" from its pages, since it was discovered not to be!"What's such fun is how amusing the galaxy looks through Adams' sardonically silly eyes."

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #2) Details

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The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #2)

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #2) Review

May 28, 2009

J.G. Keely

The universe is a joke. Even before I was shown the meaning of life in a dream at 17 (then promptly forgot it because I thought I smelled pancakes), I knew this to be true--and yet, I have always felt a need to search for the truth, that nebulous, ill-treated creature. Adams has always been, to me, to be a welcome companion in that journey. Between the search for meaning and the recognition that it's all a joke in poor taste lies Douglas Adams, and, luckily for us, he doesn't seem to mind if you The universe is a joke. Even before I was shown the meaning of life in a dream at 17 (then promptly forgot it because I thought I smelled pancakes), I knew this to be true--and yet, I have always felt a need to search for the truth, that nebulous, ill-treated creature. Adams has always been, to me, to be a welcome companion in that journey. Between the search for meaning and the recognition that it's all a joke in poor taste lies Douglas Adams, and, luckily for us, he doesn't seem to mind if you lie there with him. He's a tall guy, but he'll make room.For all his crazed unpredictability, Adams is a powerful rationalist. His humor comes from his attempts to really think through all the things we take for granted. It turns out it takes little more than a moment's questioning to burst our preconceptions at the seams, yet rarely does this stop us from treating the most ludicrous things as if they were perfectly reasonable.It is no surprise that famed atheist Richard Dawkins found a friend and ally in Adams. What is surprising is that people often fail to see the rather consistent and reasonable philosophy laid out by Adams' quips and absurdities. His approach is much more personable (and less embittered) than Dawkins', which is why I think of Adams as a better face for rational materialism (which is a polite was of saying 'atheism').Reading his books, it's not hard to see that Dawkins is tired of arguing with uninformed idiots who can't even recognize when a point has actually been made. Adams' humanism, however, stretched much further than the contention between those who believe, and those who don't.We see it from his protagonists, who are not elitist intellectuals--they're not even especially bright--but damn it, they're trying. By showing a universe that makes no sense and having his characters constantly question it, Adams is subtly hinting that this is the natural human state, and the fact that we laugh and sympathize shows that it must be true.It's all a joke, it's all ridiculous. The absurdists might find this depressing, but they're just a bunch of narcissists, anyhow. Demnading the world make sense and give you purpose is rather self centered when it already contains toasted paninis, attractive people in bathing suits, and Euler's Identity. I say let's sit down at the bar with the rabbi, the priest, and the frog and try to get a song going. Or at least recognize that it's okay to laugh at ourselves now and again. It's not the end of the world.It's just is a joke, but some of us are in on it.

Captain Jeltz, our old, not so good friend, ( a callous butcher) from the previous book, is after the stolen spaceship, with the unlikely name,"Heart of Gold", again! On board are Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Trillian, and the ex -President of the Galaxy, the thief, Zaphod Beeblebrox ( nobody cares about Marvin, the annoying robot). The unsmiling captain likes killing, that's what he does best. The fugitive ship is just about to be no more, with the help of the cruel Vogan ( a bad poet too), and h Captain Jeltz, our old, not so good friend, ( a callous butcher) from the previous book, is after the stolen spaceship, with the unlikely name,"Heart of Gold", again! On board are Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Trillian, and the ex -President of the Galaxy, the thief, Zaphod Beeblebrox ( nobody cares about Marvin, the annoying robot). The unsmiling captain likes killing, that's what he does best. The fugitive ship is just about to be no more, with the help of the cruel Vogan ( a bad poet too), and his deadly spacecraft's weapons...The Heart of Gold's computer, is too busy making the perfect cup of tea, to defend the vessel.Thanks to the thirsty Mr.Dent, a man must have his beverage! The only bright side is, that the Englishman gets the best tea, he's ever had...With the crew, having only a few moments to live, the great- grandfather of Zaphod's, is someways, conjured up by Beeblebrox... He can't explain it either. Great -grandpa isn't very happy, observing the stupidity, of his great -grandson. Four generations and what a blockhead, it has produced. And an ill timed lecture, on his relative's shameful habits, complicates things. But blood is blood and with the desperate, nervous encouragement of the rest of the gang. He sends them in their merry, separate ways. Marvin and the former president, vanishing from the bridge. And the craft travels many light years away, from the rather dangerous, somewhat bleak situation. Zaphod materializes on distant, Ursa Minor Beta, a planet, where it's always a sunny, afternoon, along also, his not so fun but gloomy robot companion, Marvin, and "his" constant bad moods. Arriving in a bar, he's amazed, speechless, shocked, but the gentleman is no stranger to such an environment, and soon feels right at home (after a couple of good drinks). And on this world is the wonderful headquarters, of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Mr.Beeblebrox has an overpowering, mysterious urge, to see (he doesn't know why?), Mr.Zarniwoop, the editor. But there are problems, there always some, the sweet talking elevator, won't take them to the 15th floor. Even asks , if they wouldn't prefer going in the opposite direction, down. Strange behavior for this machine, some kind of premonition ? The reason becomes apparent soon after, an attack from the galaxy's forces, not happy with our former leader's actions. Despite the gallant efforts of Marvin's, they take the whole huge building, and transports it to the worst place, in the Milky Way, the Frogstar planet. What a dump! A voice tells him to come on down from the 15th floor...He does, very slowly, and enters a structure, on the dreary surface, that will what, kill him? Maybe or maybe not... He's hungry, slightly tired, and would prefer to be , in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, (Milliways) where they see the end of the universe show , ever night ( with a celebrity host ). Reasonable prices too, a great view of the entertainment, if you can get a good table, and join his friends for a few libations....The only heaven, that our not quite perfect hero knows.

There is theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.There is another theory which states that this has already happened. Arthur Dent and his companions went through some bizarre and inexplicable adventures after the Earth got blown to bits by Vogons in the opening sequence of the series. They were probably too close to making sense of their situ There is theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.There is another theory which states that this has already happened. Arthur Dent and his companions went through some bizarre and inexplicable adventures after the Earth got blown to bits by Vogons in the opening sequence of the series. They were probably too close to making sense of their situation, because Douglas Adams decided to turn it all around for the sequel.Is is not an easy claim to make that the second Hitchhiker book is better than the previous one, since there was nothing wrong with the first one. Yet, for various reasons, I ended up reading it faster and enjoying it more. It may be the fact that there is actually a plot, like searching for the ruler of the universe as opposed to searching for a philosophical answer to the ultimate question. It may be that the jokes are better anchored in the actual story and feel less like an improvised skit. It may be that most of the characters are already established and we get less exposition and more action. For me though, I guess the main attraction is to discover Adams' hardcore nugget of humanism that holds it all together, like the black hole at the center of our Galaxy. Douglas Adams first points out to us how insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things, how tiny our problems are from the perspective of the Cosmos. Once he got us well and truly scared, he comes out with his guide to Life , The Universe and Everything, and puts on its cover the words : "Don't Panic!" . We may not understand everything there is to know about these issues, but we're alive, we are gifted with reasoning, and we might as well enjoy the ride. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is an indispensable companion to all those who are keen to make sense of life in an infiniteley complex and confusing Universe, for though it cannot hope to be useful or informative on all matters, it does at least make the reassuring claim, that where it is inaccurate it is at least definitively inaccurate. In cases of major discrepancy it's always reality that's got it wrong. While the main quest may be the search for the man who rules the universe, there are enough mishaps and side quests to make the journey highly entertaining:- We make a visit to the main offices of the publishers of the Hitchiker Guide, where my favorite scene describes an encounter with the artificial intelligence of a Sirius Cybernetics Corporation Happy Vertical People Transporter. Not unnaturally, many elevators imbued with intelligence and precognition became terribly frustrated with the mindless business of going up and down, up and down, experimented briefly with the notion of going sideways, as a sort of existential protest, demanded participation in the decision-making process and finally took to squatting in basements sulking.An impoverished hitchhiker visiting any planets in the Sirius star system these days can pick up easy money working as a counselor for neurotic elevators. Marvin the Paranoid Android and this acrophobic elevator are a great reminder for me that intelligence has its shortcomings, and needs to be balanced by other personality traits.- We accompany Zaphod on a forced visit to a penal planet, where he is to be punished for stealing the most advanced spaceship in the universe by undergoing a session in the Total Perspective Vortex device. This torture machine is supposed to "demonstrates conclusively that if life is going to exist in a Universe of this size, then the one thing it cannot afford to have is a sense of proportion." To see the whole infinity of creation is to go instantly mad, unless (view spoiler)[ your name is Zaphod Beeblebrox and you ego is just as big as the Universe (hide spoiler)] Infinite: Bigger than the biggest thing ever and then some. Much bigger than that in fact, really amazingly immense, a totally stunning size, real "wow, that's big" time. Infinity is just so big that, by comparison, bigness itself looks really titchy. Gigantic multiplied by colossal multiplied by staggeringly huge is the sort of concept we're trying to get across here. - we have dinner and drink Pan Galactic Gargleblasters at Milliways, the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, while we witness the unravelling of all existence and grapple with the absurd gramatical rules needed to express the upheaval of timelines , the mixing of the past with the future when/after/during/before the present ceases to exist.- we meet the ghost of one of Zaphod's ancestors, who comes up with what is probably the best one-liner yet in the series: "Life is wasted on the living" - We attend the ultimate rock concert by the band Disaster Area whose leader, Hotblack Desiato, is spending a year dead in order to avoid paying taxes. Wthout giving away to many spoilers, the band is famous for using whole planets and astral bodies for special effects during their live performances.- we get to meet the ruler of the universe, which might explain why it is so hard to make sense of it. (view spoiler)[ doubt everything and be wary of people who think they have all the answers : I couldn't trust the thinking of a man who takes the Universe - if there is one - for granted. (hide spoiler)]- we find refuge from another explosive misunderstanding in space on a Golgafrinchan Ark Ship, carrying a third of the population of their home planet away from an iminent if unexplained cataclysm and heading towards a tiny blue dot located in the unfashionable end of a spiral arm of our galaxy.At the end of the second Hitchhiker installment, I might feel like I am starting to make sense of the Universe, including an explanation of how intelligent life blossomed on Earth, but I expect Douglas Adams has a few surprises up his sleeve for the next novel. I can't wait to find out.The word 'genius' comes to mind easier and easier when describing his talent, and I don't mean it only in the slapstick, satirical way. His one liners reach much deeper than the superficial layers of my awareness. If human beings don't keep exercising their lips, their brains start working.

"It must be nice," mused Ford Prefect thoughtfully, "to know what you're for. I don't have the slightest idea what I'm for. Most sentient beings don't. But you," he continued, turning to Arthur and Trillian. "You know. Part of finding the answer to the Ultimate Question. I'm sure that's comforting at times. ""You mean the 42 business?" asked Arthur. "What?" asked Zaphod's left head incredulously, while his right head rolled its eyes. "You mean you fell for that?!"The rest of this review is avail "It must be nice," mused Ford Prefect thoughtfully, "to know what you're for. I don't have the slightest idea what I'm for. Most sentient beings don't. But you," he continued, turning to Arthur and Trillian. "You know. Part of finding the answer to the Ultimate Question. I'm sure that's comforting at times. ""You mean the 42 business?" asked Arthur. "What?" asked Zaphod's left head incredulously, while his right head rolled its eyes. "You mean you fell for that?!"The rest of this review is available elsewhere (the location cannot be given for Goodreads policy reasons)

Better than the first book. This has more funny moments and I just found myself laughing out loud more than when I was reading the first book. I guess it was by design. Douglas Adams had to explain fully his milieu for the series. Since he did that in the first book, his characters now have the whole universe to play around for themselves. So, they just don't hop and hop from one planet to another but also in this one, enjoy a time travel. They went to a restaurant at the end of the universe. Pr Better than the first book. This has more funny moments and I just found myself laughing out loud more than when I was reading the first book. I guess it was by design. Douglas Adams had to explain fully his milieu for the series. Since he did that in the first book, his characters now have the whole universe to play around for themselves. So, they just don't hop and hop from one planet to another but also in this one, enjoy a time travel. They went to a restaurant at the end of the universe. Prior to my reading of this book, I thought that the restaurant is located at the end or the edge of the universe. But I was fascinated to learn that while eating steak (from the meat of a talking animal), you could watch the end or the death of the universe. Sorry for the spoiler but it's found in the first half of the book and there are other more interesting scenes in the second part and you have to read the book and experience for yourself how is it to be dining and watching the end of yourself. Very clever imagination. I reason why I read this after the first book was that I'd like to find out what was the Ultimate Question for the Ultimate Answer that was "42." However, it seemed the Adams was deliberately delaying it as it was only in the second part where it was brought up and he did not even give any hints. So, after reading this book, I looked from the third book but I could not locate it. So, I am now reading the fourth book and since its title is Song Long and Thanks for All the Fish, I hope to already know what the Ultimate Question is.Again, I am not really a big sci-fi fan so I understand if you find this book more enjoyable and rated this with more than 3 stars. However, I agree with you that this book is good: talking insect as receptionist, elevator refusing to come up, animal talking to you prior to being butchered so you can buy and eat its meat, restaurant at the end of the universe, etc. They are all cleverly thought of that not too many of writers would be able to put them in one book and make people laugh. Really, unbelievable.On to the 4th book.

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day, when he asked me for a book recommendation. “Nothing too long,” he said. “Or too factual.”My brain starting racing. Tolstoy? Much too long. Bill Bryson? Much too factual.“The news?” I suggested.“No, no,” he said. “A book.”My mind kept racing through titles.“Ah, I’ve got it!” I said finally. “Try The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series. They are wholly remarkable books.”This brief conversation encapsulates why I enjoy these books so much. They' I was talking to a friend of mine the other day, when he asked me for a book recommendation. “Nothing too long,” he said. “Or too factual.”My brain starting racing. Tolstoy? Much too long. Bill Bryson? Much too factual.“The news?” I suggested.“No, no,” he said. “A book.”My mind kept racing through titles.“Ah, I’ve got it!” I said finally. “Try The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series. They are wholly remarkable books.”This brief conversation encapsulates why I enjoy these books so much. They're well-written, thoughtful, funny, short, and immensely readable. They are the sorts of book you can recommend to nearly anyone, the sorts of books that turn illiterates into book enthusiasts. It’s hard to think of something more effortlessly pleasant.

I'm absolutely astounded at how quotable this book is. It's no wonder Douglas Adams suffered from writers block because just about every line in the entire book (and previous book, and probably subsequent books), is perfectly crafted to bring about a chuckle. In this second book of the trilogy of five (which is now 6 I'm told), our crew of Beeblebrox, Arthur, Trillian, Ford Prefect, and of course the loveable Melvin the depressed robot, has to find the man behind the power, the ruler of the enti I'm absolutely astounded at how quotable this book is. It's no wonder Douglas Adams suffered from writers block because just about every line in the entire book (and previous book, and probably subsequent books), is perfectly crafted to bring about a chuckle. In this second book of the trilogy of five (which is now 6 I'm told), our crew of Beeblebrox, Arthur, Trillian, Ford Prefect, and of course the loveable Melvin the depressed robot, has to find the man behind the power, the ruler of the entire universe. Of course, it's peppered with more great aliens and planets and if you thought the Vogons were great (or terrible, depending how you look at it), well, let's just say the committee meetings don't end there.Doug Adams was absolutely brilliant and I thought this was even more quotable than the last. And I love quotes. The actual plot was a little less so, and it's definitely a middle novel with that ending.If this beginning doesn't sell you, however, I definitely won't:"The story so far:In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move."4 out of 5 Stars (highly recommended)

2.5 to 3.0 stars. Decent follow up to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. While enjoyable, I did not find myself laughing as often as I did during the first one. With books like this, your mood is often an important factor in determining your level of enjoyment so it could be that I just wasn't as receptive to the story as I might otherwise have been. Good but not great.

Oh, how I do love Douglas Adams. I find something really profound in the way Douglas Adams presents life, even through an otherwise nonsensical and just purely humorous book. When I look past the surface, some of life's most thought-provoking themes lie so clearly woven amidst his stories. Each encounter, each adventure, each beloved character, each twist, each turn; these are all humorous, superbly written, and wonderful, but what I believe Adams does better than his other counter-parts is lace Oh, how I do love Douglas Adams. I find something really profound in the way Douglas Adams presents life, even through an otherwise nonsensical and just purely humorous book. When I look past the surface, some of life's most thought-provoking themes lie so clearly woven amidst his stories. Each encounter, each adventure, each beloved character, each twist, each turn; these are all humorous, superbly written, and wonderful, but what I believe Adams does better than his other counter-parts is lace it all with such an intelligent irony to the point that, when you take the time to look, you see more than a Sci-Fi best-seller, you see a truly substantial commentary on the world around us.

Parking Cars - what else does one do in a car park13 September 2016 Well, this is annoying. Having just arrived back from Europe, and having travelled half way around a world you could say that I now have the holiday hangover – Jet Lag. Basically I have had about 10 hours sleep in total over the past four days, namely because I go to sleep and suddenly an hour later I am wide awake, laying in bed, wondering whether I should get up and do something, or simply lie there and attempt to get some mor Parking Cars - what else does one do in a car park13 September 2016 Well, this is annoying. Having just arrived back from Europe, and having travelled half way around a world you could say that I now have the holiday hangover – Jet Lag. Basically I have had about 10 hours sleep in total over the past four days, namely because I go to sleep and suddenly an hour later I am wide awake, laying in bed, wondering whether I should get up and do something, or simply lie there and attempt to get some more sleep, which generally doesn't occur until around 5:00 am (which means that I am not up until around 10:00, when I am able to sleep in that late). Also, having had my first full day of work (in an office) for seven weeks, you could say that I am a bit zonked. However I have just finished the second instalment of Adam's rather bizarre, and quite absurd, space adventure, and if I don't start writing the review now I probably never well (not that I can easily write at the moment, even on a laptop – maybe I should get up and go for a walk before hand, or even better go down to the pub and get a beer – yes, maybe I'll do just that). Okay, I'm now down at the pub with a beer in front of me, but I will do my best to resist the temptation to talk about how Belgium has turned me into a beer and coffee snob, particularly due to the fact that in Belgium you get beer that has been brewed in Monasteries for hundreds of years, where as in Australia you simply get beer that is pretty substandard (though nowhere near as bad as English beer – which as I have said previously is little more than coloured water). Anyway, enough of that because I really want to get this review completed before I move onto my next book. So, the book starts of where the previous one ends, and sort of follows the television series (though the television series ends at the end of this book). However I didn't feel that this part of the series was anywhere near as good as the first book (or even the series). I would sort of suggest that it was tying up a few loose ends, but in fact the first book didn't have any lose ends that needed tying up (but then again any lose ends that exist in absurdist literature generally are not ment to be tied up – otherwise it would cease to be absurd). Further, it seems that the story has been padded out a bit and as such it feels a little forced, especially since the original really didn't need a plot – they land up at the Restaurant that exists at the end of time, namely because they are looking for some place to have a meal and people go there for a humongous light show. Our heroes then steal a stunt ship belonging to a galactic rockstar, but it turns out that this ship is going to be flown into a star. Fortunately they find a teleport and escape, but Zaphod and Trillian disappear to who knows where, while Arthur and Ford land up back on Earth (or at least on a ship heading in that general direction). While that is the basic plot of the second half of the television series, this book gives a bit more of a meaning behind plot – the Vogons realise that since Arthur and Trillian managed to escape Earth their job of destroying the Earth was left half finished so they decide to go after them to finish it off (and you will see more of that in future books). Also, Zaphod decides to go and find out who the actual ruler of the universe is, namely because even though he is president of the galaxy he really has no power (though he ends up getting board and heads of to have some dinner instead). In a way it felt a little forced and sort of detracted a lot from the original premise, which was understandably quite absurd. Even though Zaphod does eventually find the ruler of the universe, as it turns out the guy is pretty absent minded, and in a way one wonders whether he actually rules anything, and why it is that he is supposed to be the ruler of the universe. Maybe it has something to with this idea that there really isn't any order, or sense, in the universe, and if there is any deity, the lack of sense, or purpose, suggests that the ruler really has no idea what is going on, or maybe has been around for so long that he (or she) has simply become senile. In a way it does seem to be like this, but I really don't want to get into anything too theological to attempt to disprove Adam's theory because in a way it is your typical Deist view of existence – sure there is a God who created the world, but he is either long gone, or simply set it in motion and let it go about on its own devices. I guess that is why the theory of Thermodynamics works – creation moves from order to disorder in the same way that a mechanical device slowly, but surely, winds down to a halt. However the way that the world seems to go about suggests that maybe he have been forgotten about it. However, it is quite interesting that whenever somebody comes along and suggests that maybe if people learnt to get along a bit better they either end up shot, forced to drink poison, or hung on a cross. One group I do need to mention are the Gulgafrinchans – they are a rather amusing, and quite interesting, race of people. The deal with them is that there were three classes of people – the ruling class, the working class, and the middle class. The thing with the ruling class is that they were the rulers (and controlled the means of production), so they considered themselves particularly important. The working class actually had useful skills that the ruling class could use to produce stuff, while the middle class simply leached off the capital of the ruling class and the hard work of the working class. The middle class consisted of people such as advertising executives, sales managers, film directors, and telephone sanitisers – people that if they were removed from society then society would pretty much continue to function, but at a more efficient rate. In a way I am inclined to agree – there is actually a whole class of people that simply exist to make things more complicated, and more expensive. Lawyers (and politicians) create reams and reams of laws to make life so complex that one cannot navigate the environment without spending lots of money to actually understand what these mystical words actually mean. As for advertisers, market analysts, and sales managers – they simply exist to make things more expensive. For instance they take what is effectively a t-shirt and with a wave of their hands transform it into a lifestyle – a brand if you will – which means that one can jack up the price to no end. In a way the middle class really only exists to take money from the working class, give it to the ruling class, and take a significant cut for themselves. The fact that they come across as a bunch of bumbling idiots who haven't managed to get anything done because everything has been referred to a discussion group is no accident. In away, as some suggest, totalitarian dictatorships are so much more effective because they do away with all these pesky politicians who exist only for the election cycle, and simply get things done. The problem is that it is actually very rare for there to be a totalitarian dictator that wants to make the country great as opposed to simply using his position as a chick magnet (otherwise Africa would be one of the most powerful continents on the planet). I can't finish off this review without making mention of Marvin the Paranoid Android. No matter how disappointing the book ended up being for me, he still ends up stealing the show. Even though he is an incredibly intelligent robot (who has existed, by the end of the book, for millions of years) it is impossible to actually get anything out of him – namely because he acts like your typical self absorbed depressive – 'here I am, a brain the size of a planet and you want me to …'. Mind you, he really has his moments, especially when he is talking to a robot tank, and simply by being himself, ends up getting the tank to literally destroy itself (by shooting away the floor underneath it). In the end, it is the classic line that he gives when he is at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe (which is have quoted in the title, so I won't repeat it here) which is probably my favourite line of the entire series. Oh, and prophet that rocks up at the restaurant just before the universe ends, and doesn't get a chance to finish his apology for being late. Maybe, just maybe, I'm being a little harsh on this book.

Back in junior high school, when I was being bussed 30 miles each way to the Magnet School for Gifted Math and Science Students (don't get excited; I washed out of the program in shame and disgrace after two years), the Hitchhiker's Guide series were all my nerdy friends' favorite books. They would throw quotes and in-jokes about Pan-Galactic Gargleblasters and Ravenous Bugblatter Beasts of Kraal back and forth at each other much like some (annoying) people like to do with Monty Python films or Back in junior high school, when I was being bussed 30 miles each way to the Magnet School for Gifted Math and Science Students (don't get excited; I washed out of the program in shame and disgrace after two years), the Hitchhiker's Guide series were all my nerdy friends' favorite books. They would throw quotes and in-jokes about Pan-Galactic Gargleblasters and Ravenous Bugblatter Beasts of Kraal back and forth at each other much like some (annoying) people like to do with Monty Python films or The Princess Bride. For whatever reason, all the Douglas Adams-themed 7th grade nerd humor rubbed me the wrong way and I refused to read the books, which was an act of breathtaking contrarianism at the time.So recently, I decided it might be worthwhile to fill the Hitchhiker's-shaped hole in my literary Great Wall, and I started reading the series.I think I might have been better off reading this book in 7th grade, because at age 36, what it did was irritate me, mostly. The constant wordplay seemed clumsy and unfunny, and most of the main characters sort of ran together. Worst of all, the plot was completely devoid of interest - I understand that the plot isn't supposed to be the central attraction in these books, but it's hard to muster up emotion over perilous situations when you just know the characters (whom you don't care much about to start with) are inevitably going to be bailed out by some zany deus ex campus sinister and zoom along to their next wacky adventure. It was like trying to get excited about watching other people ride a roller coaster.I can't remember the last time I had such a hard time finishing such a short book, but I'm actually glad I did because the last 50 pages or so were the best part.

This series is frigging hilarious. Unfortunately, that's the only thing this book has going on. The story was a bit all over the place. There was also a lack of my favourite character, Marvin. Not sure if I'll continue with this series as yet. The first book THGTTG is a must read though.

Hitchhiker's, volume 2.The beginning of human life on earth and the end of the universe, aided by infinite improbability. As with the others, it's the ideas and writing that make it so good:Marvin makes a heavily armoured tank guess what weapon he has (nothing). "The guide is definitive. Reality is frequently inaccurate". "How are you? Fine if you like being me, which personally, I don't". "Everything's cool and froody". "Little expense had been spared to give the impression that no expense had Hitchhiker's, volume 2.The beginning of human life on earth and the end of the universe, aided by infinite improbability. As with the others, it's the ideas and writing that make it so good:Marvin makes a heavily armoured tank guess what weapon he has (nothing). "The guide is definitive. Reality is frequently inaccurate". "How are you? Fine if you like being me, which personally, I don't". "Everything's cool and froody". "Little expense had been spared to give the impression that no expense had been spared". "The terrible light that had played on his features went off to play somewhere more healthy". Like most car parks, it "smelt mostly of impatience". "He paused just long enough to make them feel they ought to say something, then interrupted". Spend a year dead for tax reasons. Meat bred to want to be eaten. "Life. Don't talk to me about life". The ruler of the universe doesn't know it, and doesn't believe in anything anyway.Dump hairdressers, telephone sanitizers, management consultants and advertising execs - then die from dirty phones. Can't invent fire without knowing what people want from fire; can't invent wheel till decide on a colour. "We were about to do nothing at all for a while, but it can wait".Brief summary and favourite quotes from the other four of the five books, as follows:Hitchhiker's Guide (vol 1): http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...Life, the Universe and Everything (vol 3):http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish (vol 4): http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...Mostly Harmless (vol 5): http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...And Another Thing...(vol 6), by Eoin Colfer : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe: Serious philosophy camouflaged as comedyOriginally posted at Fantasy LiteratureThe HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY series can be enjoyed on many levels, so it’s tough to decide how to review it. On the surface, it’s just a zany series of dry British humorous skits ala Monty Python, but when you dig deeper, Douglas Adams has a lot to say about life, the universe, and everything. Taken as a whole, he presents a consistent philosophy that our universe is The Restaurant at the End of the Universe: Serious philosophy camouflaged as comedyOriginally posted at Fantasy LiteratureThe HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY series can be enjoyed on many levels, so it’s tough to decide how to review it. On the surface, it’s just a zany series of dry British humorous skits ala Monty Python, but when you dig deeper, Douglas Adams has a lot to say about life, the universe, and everything. Taken as a whole, he presents a consistent philosophy that our universe is impossibly huge beyond our comprehension, and our attempts to understand it are woefully inadequate. But we shouldn’t get too upset about it, because it’s much better not to take things overly seriously. Just sit back and enjoy the show, folks. It’s an amazing place.I could try to describe the plot of The Restaurant at the End of the Universe in a linear fashion, but there just isn’t much point. It's a series of hilarious set pieces that give opportunities for Adams to deliver some incredibly funny and irreverent comments about people and aliens and just how ridiculous they can be. Considering that the series began as a BBC radio series and also became a TV series and stage show, it’s easy to see how it has evolved this way.As always, Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect are an enjoyable pair of comic bumblers, while Zaphod Beeblebrox remains the absurdly egocentric ex-President of the Galaxy, and my personal favorite remains Marvin the Paranoid Robot, who has a brain the size of a planet but is only given an endless series of menial tasks, causing severe depression on his part. There is also a large supplementary cast with unforgettable names, such as Zarniwoop, Roosta, Gargravarr, the Ruler of the Universe, the Golgofrinchans, and fascinating creations like The Total Perspective Vortex:When you are put into the Vortex you are given just one momentary glimpse of the entire unimaginable infinity of creation, and somewhere in it a tiny little marker, a microscopic dot on a microscopic dot, which says “You are here."The story doesn’t make a lick of sense, and since Adams is intent on showing the absurdity of attempting to make sense of the immensity of the universe, it doesn’t have to. As I listened to the audiobook, I had trouble understanding what was happening, but instead keyed in on the sublime one-liners and crazy situations the characters found themselves in.Speaking of audio narrators, Martin Freeman does the honors for this book and its sequels, whereas the brilliant comedian Stephen Fry narrated The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy. That performance was so perfect that it would be hard for anyone to top it — in fact, I always recommend that book for any of the many audiobook skeptics I encounter. But Martin Freeman is no slouch — he played Arthur Dent in the 2005 film version of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the main character in the original UK The Office television series, Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy of films, and Watson in the UK Sherlock TV series. I’m a huge fan of dry British humor, and Freeman really does a bang-up job of creating a host of unique character voices.His one choice that struck a discordant note was giving Zaphod Beeblebrox, one-time President of the Galaxy, a Bronx accent more suited to a hotdog stand operator. The accent itself is excellent — but it doesn’t really fit the character. I got used to it, but it wasn’t my favorite. The most important voice in my mind is Marvin the Paranoid Robot. If Freeman can nail his lines, all else is forgiven. And Freeman is well suited for self-deprecating misery — his most famous television role is as the downtrodden office worker tormented by Ricky Gervais, after all. Fortunately he pulled it off very nicely.Once again I’ll finish this review with a classic Marvin quote. At one point Marvin gets left behind in a parking lot by the main characters for 576 billion years as they leap forward in time but not in place:The first ten million years were the worst, and the second ten million years, they were the worst too. The third ten million I didn’t enjoy at all. After that I went into a bit of a decline. The best conversation I had was over forty million years ago…. And that was with a coffee machine.

Very entertaining sequel to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In this book, our heroes...I don't really know how to even begin to summarize the plot. Our heroes are on a quest to get something to eat which leads to adventures through time and space and parallel dimensions and a trip to visit the man who runs the universe. I have always thought that the Hitchhiker books get progressively weirder and weirder. Bear in mind that the first book features pan-dimensional superintelligent mice, so t Very entertaining sequel to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In this book, our heroes...I don't really know how to even begin to summarize the plot. Our heroes are on a quest to get something to eat which leads to adventures through time and space and parallel dimensions and a trip to visit the man who runs the universe. I have always thought that the Hitchhiker books get progressively weirder and weirder. Bear in mind that the first book features pan-dimensional superintelligent mice, so that's saying something. If you thought that the first book was too random and disorganized for your taste you're probably not going to love the sequels.Having just read this for the third time I do not count myself in that group, and this is my second favorite of the five Hitchhiker books. The humor is a little more uneven than in book one which is the only thing keeping this from five stars for me. But when the book is "on" it is more fun than a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster. If you thought The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was funny I highly recommend this book. 4 stars.Reread in January, 2004 and April, 2012.

Finally, science fiction with worthwhile and nuanced commentary that isn't overly Hobbesian! And it's wonderfully comedic as well; it's comprised of black humor that doesn't depress me after I have a long reflection of the author's messages! It pokes fun at the world, and keeps me laughing! Thank you, Douglas Adams, for not taking this world too seriously. I felt the first book and the first part of this book were alright, in the sense that its jokes made me chuckle and I thought now and then, " Finally, science fiction with worthwhile and nuanced commentary that isn't overly Hobbesian! And it's wonderfully comedic as well; it's comprised of black humor that doesn't depress me after I have a long reflection of the author's messages! It pokes fun at the world, and keeps me laughing! Thank you, Douglas Adams, for not taking this world too seriously. I felt the first book and the first part of this book were alright, in the sense that its jokes made me chuckle and I thought now and then, "Well, that's clever." However, what this part of the series led to, to the end of this second book, is just fantastic. I can't discuss it without giving away spoilers, but I lovingly appreciate the intricacy of the plot Adams wrote and how all of the seemingly surreal or absurdist humor ultimately convened into one large, amazing idea or statement about human behavior. This is now a favorite of mine!

Another great book by Adams. This book as as good as the first, if not better. Never felt like this was actually a different book.The best thing about the book was that we got to see more of Zaphod and Marvin. These two guys are fucking hilarious! Seriously, these two belong to an elite list of the funniest characters I have ever come across. I actually can't believe that I had expected Arthur to be the main guy when the series had started. And I really wanted more of Trillian. Arthur and Trilli Another great book by Adams. This book as as good as the first, if not better. Never felt like this was actually a different book.The best thing about the book was that we got to see more of Zaphod and Marvin. These two guys are fucking hilarious! Seriously, these two belong to an elite list of the funniest characters I have ever come across. I actually can't believe that I had expected Arthur to be the main guy when the series had started. And I really wanted more of Trillian. Arthur and Trillian have started to come across as minor characters. I really do hope it changes in the next books.Also, THIS!Infinite: Bigger than the biggest thing ever and then some. Much bigger than that in fact, really amazingly immense, a totally stunning size, real "wow, that's big," time. Infinity is just so big that, by comparison, bigness itself looks really titchy. Gigantic multiplied by colossal multiplied by staggeringly huge is the sort of concept we're trying to get across here.

Finally, Douglas Adams pulls me out of my reading funk.This is not just a book of jokes, it is, but they're *smart* jokes. The book is really full of philosophy, how does language shape a cultures destiny, solipsism, interconnectivity, and the individuals relationship to not just themselves and those around them, but the world. This, however, is all lingering behind the odd and absurdity that is Douglas Adams usual style of writing.He gets people, man. He gets people.

There are two major plot threads woven into the first two books of the Hitchhiker's series. The more well-known regards the destruction of the Earth, pan-dimensional mice and the ultimate 2-digit number. Less famous, but equally integrated into the narrative, is a story of inter-galactic conspiracy, the pursuit of power and self-performed brain-modification. For 'the true ruler of the universe' must be found and the enigmatic Zaphod Beeblebrox cons himself into the quest, only he can't remember There are two major plot threads woven into the first two books of the Hitchhiker's series. The more well-known regards the destruction of the Earth, pan-dimensional mice and the ultimate 2-digit number. Less famous, but equally integrated into the narrative, is a story of inter-galactic conspiracy, the pursuit of power and self-performed brain-modification. For 'the true ruler of the universe' must be found and the enigmatic Zaphod Beeblebrox cons himself into the quest, only he can't remember how or why he'd do such a thing.That this second story is less memorable shouldn't surprise, for by comparison it's a more standard yarn. There's a villain (the instantly unlikeable Zarniwoop), substantial foreshadowing (Zaphod probes his own brain to find evidence of the surgery he can't remember performing on himself) and a tidy resolution (the ruler of the universe is found and the villain is left stuck out in the rain, literally.)That the contemptible Zarniwoop is a publishing executive and that his whole clandestine enterprise proves pointless may reveal bitter sentiment on Adams' part. Is this all allegory for a publishing world corrupted by a need for drama, manufactured significance and familiar storytelling? Perhaps. More telling is the title; The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, referring to that magical establishment that houses the most remarkable and entertaining sequence in the whole series. Yet at the same time, this most amazing of dinner reservations is a pure excursion, having nothing to do with any of the ongoing plot threads. Our heroes dine-in, not in pursuit of galactic secrets, but in pursuit of food. And in the following quote we find Adams at his least sarcastic, a hint about what he deems truly important: 'The History of every major Galactic Civilization tends to pass through three distinct and recognizable phases, those of Survival, Inquiry and Sophistication, otherwise known as the How, Why, and Where phases. For instance, the first phase is characterized by the question 'How can we eat?' the second by the question 'Why do we eat?' and the third by the question 'Where shall we have lunch?'

The first book in this series I actually listened to on audiobook, which I think is the best format to consume these books because originally they were a radio show I believe. I think that the absurdity and fun of this series is just entertaining to listen to, but for the second one I actually read the book rather than listening to it. I think it's a book which still works in visual form, but it's just excellent when read aloud and some of the songs and words are definitely worth saying out loud The first book in this series I actually listened to on audiobook, which I think is the best format to consume these books because originally they were a radio show I believe. I think that the absurdity and fun of this series is just entertaining to listen to, but for the second one I actually read the book rather than listening to it. I think it's a book which still works in visual form, but it's just excellent when read aloud and some of the songs and words are definitely worth saying out loud to get a feel for it :)The story follows Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect again, who are the main characters of the first story. They are travelling around the universe and getting into all sorts of trouble, meeting depressed Robots, the President of the Universe and lots of other bonkers characters. It's a story which is rather hard to quantify or explain because actually it's mostly just a lot of random oddness. There are bizarre places, time travel, BIG questions and games of Scrabble all mixed with the various races, planets and places of the Universe. I think some of my favourite parts of these stories revolve around language because Adams has a way of using puns or jokes about language which can be very amusing. He also seems to like to give things wither really long, nonsense names or very 'to-the-point' names or very retro names which means that everything is a little bit unlikely, unexpected and odd.Basically, I think these are fun, easy reads with some good humorous moments and I am sure that the series will continue the same way. I fully intend to try and read the next few very soon and I have no doubt that it will be like entering a mind-scrambler once more. 3.5*s overall :)

This book is based on the fact that Zaphod Beeblebrox is looking for the ruler of the Universe to fulfill a plan that he doesn't even know he had because he had part of his memory removed. Part of the problem is, though, only three people know he exists and even they don't know where he is. Another problem is is that the ship he and his companions' ship is not working because Arthur Dent made it try to figure out how to make tea. All of this leads to another random adventure where anything can h This book is based on the fact that Zaphod Beeblebrox is looking for the ruler of the Universe to fulfill a plan that he doesn't even know he had because he had part of his memory removed. Part of the problem is, though, only three people know he exists and even they don't know where he is. Another problem is is that the ship he and his companions' ship is not working because Arthur Dent made it try to figure out how to make tea. All of this leads to another random adventure where anything can happen. I thought that this book was good, addicting, and much easier to follow than the previous installment, 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.' I liked how the author (Douglas Adams) didn't interject as many random pieces of information as he did in the first, and when he did, it was much more obvious. This book surpassed my expectations because, as I said, I expected it to be far more difficult to follow. My favorite part was when Zaphod went into the Total Perspective Vortex, which was supposed to make you implode from the realization of how worthless you are to the galaxy, he came out even better off than he was before! It was so unexpected! I read this book because I read the first one and I wanted to see what happened next.